Little Italy Food Hall will make arrival in summer 2018

Little Italy has been a hot spot in San Diego for delicious and authentic Italian food. This summer the neighborhood will welcome the Little Italy Food Hall in the highly anticipated Piazza della Famiglia, projected to become the new social hub of the area.

The space will house six locally-driven vendors, a full bar with local beers and craft cocktails and a mobile outdoor chefs’ area that will feature pop-up cooking demonstrations, plus an adjacent 11,000-square foot public piazza.

Sam Zien, host of Sam the Cooking Guy, will serve as the face of the food hall, where he will open a concept within the hall (Not Not Tacos), lead live demonstrations in the chefs’ area and act as ambassador for the food hall.

Courtesy photo

Sam Zien is known as Sam the Cooking Guy.

Sam Zien is known as Sam the Cooking Guy.

(Courtesy photo)

According to a recent press release, Zien has been cooking the Not Not Tacos concept in his head for some time and the food hall served as the perfect host. “This whole thing is so damn exciting,” he said. “With the opening of the Food Hall we are bringing in an opportunity for local concepts to develop and grow.”

The architecture and design of the hall will allude to Little Italy’s maritime past and honor its strong immigrant foundations. “We are developing the Little Italy Food Hall in homage to the generation of those families with the goal of creating a place of gathering and celebration,” said Mike DiNorscia, managing director of Sweet 100 and partner of Grain & Grit Collective.

The Piazza della Famiglia, on West Date Street between Columbia and India streets, where the Food Hall will be located, is a project spearheaded by the H. G. Fenton Company. The area, which will start opening in phases starting in March and completed entirely in November, will play host to farmer’s markets, concerts and events. Apartments, underground parking, retail and restaurant spaces will also share the over 17,000-square foot vicinity.

More details are expected to be released, as the project opening approaches in early- to mid-summer.